Apparatus for and method of smoking fowl or other meats



June 2, 1959 c. G. BATHE 2,888,872

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF SMOKING FOWL OR OTHER MEATS Filed NOV. 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I /'I l ATTORNEYS.

June 2, 1959 c G. BATH: 2, 7

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF SMOKING FOWL OR OTHER MEATS Filed Nov. 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 49 Cii Ba ihe O O INVENTOR O O G 0 BY I ATTORNEYS June 2, 1959 c. G. BATHE 2,888,872

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF SMOKING FOWL OR OTHER MEATS I Filed Nov. 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CGI'Ba 2A6 INVENTOR BY I ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF SMOKING FOWL 'OR OTHER ll/[EATS Charles G. Bathe, Long'Beach, Calif.

Application November 27, 1956, Serial No. 624,665

1 Claim. (Cl. 99-259) This invention relates to apparatus for and method of smoking fowl or other meats.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus may be supported on a spit when whole, or may be dis- V posed in a perforate receptacle, with the spit and receptacle rotated within a smoke filled chamber.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a smoking device for smoking fowl or other meats constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing one of the perforated receptacles.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary outer side elevation of one of the perforate receptacles.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modified form of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a housing which is formed of offset side walls 11 and 12 and offset end walls 13 and 14. The housing 10 also includes a top wall 15 and a bottom wall 16.

A plurality of pairs of supporting bars 17 are secured between the end walls 13 and 14 and the bars 17 are disposed in superposed pairs. Each bar 17 has disposed on the upper side thereof a series of spaced apart blocks 18 which have bearing notches 19 extending downwardly from the upper ends thereof. A tubular spit or supporting member generally indicated at 20 is adapted to rotatably engage in aligned blocks 18 and each spit member 20 is provided with a plurality of holes 21 along the length thereof. Each spit member 20 is provided with a pair of collars 22 which engage on the inner sides of the bearing blocks 18. One end of each spit member 20 is provided with a tongue or coupling member 23 which is adapted to engage in a complementary coupling member 24 carried by a stub shaft 25. There is a stub shaft 25 for each spit member 20 and the stub shafts 25 rotatably engage through wall 11 and bearings 26 which are carried by wall 11. A beveled gear 27 is secured on the outer end of each stub shaft 25 and each beveled gear 27 meshes with a beveled gear 28 secured to a horizontal shaft 29. The shaft 29 is journaled in bearings 30 secured to the outer side of wall 11 and the end of beveled gears 28 has an abutting beveled gear 31 secured to shaft 29 and meshingwith a beveled gear 32 which is secured to a vertical drive shaft 33. The shaft 33 extends upwardly from a transmission or speed reduction member 34 which is operatively connected with a power member'35. The upper portion of vertical shaft 33 as shown in Fig. 2 is journaled through a bearing 36 carried by an L-shaped bracket-37. The upper shafts of the horizontal shafts 29 and 29 have beveled gears 38 and 39 respectively on one end thereof which mesh with gears 40 and 41 secured to a second vertical shaft 42. The shaft 42 is disposed at, the end of shaft 29 opposite from shaft 33 and the lower end of shaft 42 has a beveled gear 43 secured thereto, which meshes with a beveled gear 44 on the adjacent end of lower horizontal shaft 29. Vertical shaft 42 is journaled in upper and lower bearings 45 and 46 which are secured to the outer side of the sidewall 11. Each spit member 20 has secured thereto a pair of resilient and outwardly divergent holding members 47 which upon projection of the spit member in a fowl, such as a turkey or the like, will hold the fowl against endwise movement on the spit member 20. The upper bars 17 in the housing 10 may have a plurality of perforated containers or receptacles generally indicated at 48, removably and rotatably mounted thereon. Each receptacle 48 is formed of a semi-cylindrical wall 49 having end walls 50 fixed thereto and the receptacle 48 also includes a semi-cylindrical cover 51 having end walls 52. The cover 51 is adapted to be latched by means of a resilient latching member 53 engaging a pin or keeper 54 which is carried by the semi-cylindrical wall 49. The end walls 50 are adapted to have ringshaped bushings 55 secured thereto and through :which tubular shafts 56 are adapted to engage. The shafts 56 are fixed relative to the receptacles 48 and each shaft 56 is of tubular form and is provided with longitudinally spaced openings 57. Each shaft 56 also includes a pair of collars 58 engaging adjacent the inner sides of the upper bearing blocks 18. The shafts 56 are provided with detachable coupling means 23 and 24*- similar to coupling means 23 and 24. The coupling means 24 is formed at the inner ends of upper stub shafts 25- which are rotated as hereinbefore described.

The end wall 14 has a door or closure 59 by means of which access may be had to the interior of the housing 10 and smoke is discharged into the interior of the housing 10 through a perforate pipe 60. The pipe 60 extends through wall 12 and is connected to a smoke generating member 21 positioned on the outside of housing 10.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9, there is disclosed a modified form of this invention wherein the housing 10 is formed, similar to housing 10 and is provided with pairs of supporting bars 17 on the interior thereof. The housing 10 has positioned on the inside thereof a plurality of infrared holders 62 which are supported by supporting bars 63 between horizontal bars 17*. The holders 62 are adapted to be connected by conventional conductors to a source of electric current supply and each holder 62 includes a handle or bail 64 by means of which the holder may be removed from the supporting bars 17 The infrared member 62 may be used for cooking or roasting peanuts or other nuts and is disposed closely adjacent the perforated containers 48. The perforated containers 48 are adapted to hold cut pieces of rately. I he spits are preferably used for projection through a whole fowl which is shown in Fig. 2 and is positioned between adjacent pairs of supporting bars 17. The upper portion of end wall 14 has an exhaust opening 65 within which one end of an exhaust pipe 66 is secured for exhausting the smoke from the interior of the housing 10.

In the use and operation of this device the fowl or other elements which are to be smoked, are placed within the housing 10 on the supporting bars 17. Where the fowl is to be smoked the spit members are extended through the fowl and the ends of each spit member is rotatably engaged in the bearing notches 19 of bearing blocks 18. The holes in the tubular spit members permit the access of smoke to the interior of the body of the fowl. If pieces of turkey or other edibles are to be smoked, these pieces are placed in the perforate receptacles or containers 48 and these containers are pivotally disposed in the upper portion of housing 10. The smoke ejected from the holes in pipe 60 will rise upwardly in the housing 10 and permeate or penetrate the edibles which are supported within the housing 10.

The apparatus hereinbefore described provides an improved and eflicient process for smoking turkeys either whole or cut into small pieces, the smoke being derived from hickory wood. The small turkey pieces are desirable for use in making turkey tamales which are made with smoked turkey meat, turkey stock, beef suet, massa meal, cereal, seasoning spices, tomato paste, caramel coloring, onions and salt.

What is claimed is:

A smoking apparatus comprising a closed housing, superposed pairs of horizontal bars in said housing, hearing blocks carried by each bar, stub shafts rotatably carried by one wall of said housing in alignment with said blocks, spit members rotatably engaging said blocks, each spit member comprising an elongated tubular member having spaced apart holes, a pair of divergent resilient fowl holding members carried by each spit member, interengaging coupling means carried by said spit members and said stub shafts, means for rotating said stub shafts, and means for discharging smoke into said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,337,122 Doak Apr. 13, 1920 1,860,577 Hedge May 31, 1932 2,165,057 Kellner July 4, 1939 2,266,131 Thon Dec. 16, 1941 2,342,373 Schiewe Feb. 22, 1944 2,399,163 Brunamonti Apr. 30,1946 2,464,614 Sala -1 -1 Mar. 15, 1949 2,520,067 'S agen Aug. 22, 1950 2,585,799 Lawrence Feb, 12, 1952 2,705,450 Steinbook Apr. 5, 1955 2,722,882 Wilson Nov. 8, 1955 2,787,948 Mathis Apr. 9, 1957 

